Recurring Nightmare
by SGVero
Summary: When Brennan's recurring nightmare about Shalimar's death doesn't come to an end, the team must not only discover what it is that's bothering him, but find a way to prevent his nightmare from coming true.
1. The Nightmare Begins

"SHAL!"

Brennan's eyes snapped open in the darkness as his body jerked up into a sitting position. Trapped somewhere in between the worlds of fantasy and reality, panic rose in Brennan's chest as he struggled to recall where he was. It was only when a bright light suddenly flooded into the room that Brennan realized he was home; he was safe.

"Brennan?"

Brennan looked up – right into Shalimar's beautiful face. He was completely unaware of the look of pure panic on his face; he was quite startled by Shalimar's sudden outburst of concern.

"What's wrong, what happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened, I…" Brennan's eyes fell away from Shalimar's. He… He what? He had had a bad dream. A nightmare was all it had been; but how could he bring himself to admit that to Shal? How could he bring himself to tell her that if he had not shaken himself free from is nightmare, he would have seen her die not a moment after?

"Brennan?" Shalimar sat next to Brennan, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She leaned closer, gazing into his eyes; searching. "What happened?"

Brennan shook his head. "Like I said – it was nothing."

Shalimar smiled. "What, you think I didn't hear you call my name? It was kind of hard not to, I mean you called me loud enough to wake the dead." Shalimar chuckled softly, but the laughter died as a shiver shot through Brennan's body. Shalimar blinked; had she imagined it? She couldn't remember a time where Brennan had shivered in such a way - it was as if he was scared; but that just wasn't possible. Brennan feared nothing. Well, nothing that he had bothered to tell anyone, which happened to be more than good enough for Shalimar.

"Brennan…?"

Brennan sighed and roughly passed a hand through his already tousled hair. He was breathing rather quickly; the effects of the nightmare had not yet completely worn off. It had seemed so real... Far too real for his liking. It had been so long since he had had a nightmare like that; he had believed that he was past that stage of life.

Well, apparently he wasn't. Not yet anyway.

He turned to look at Shalimar, eyes wide. "Shal, I… uh…"

"What?" Shalimar frowned, growing increasingly worried. Brennan was acting peculiarly, as if there was something he was holding back; something he didn't want to tell her. It made her feel extremely uneasy; she hated being kept in the dark about things, especially if they concerned her or someone she cared about.

Sighing, she decided it best to make him tell her. "Don't make me beat it out of you," she said, though by her tone of voice Brennan could tell she was joking. Sighing, he forced a smile.

"It was just a bad dream, okay? Nothing to worry about."

"Aww, is Brenny still having bad dreams?"

Brennan and Shalimar looked up to see Jesse standing in the doorway, smirking. He chuckled as he gazed over at Brennan.

"So what did Brenny dream about that was so, so bad?"

Brennan fought the urge to plant his fist into Jesse's face. Instead he tried to count to ten; he had nearly reached two and a half when his eyes flashed open, false barrier of calm control shattered.

"Look Jesse, I'll give you three seconds to stuff it and get the hell out of my room before I zap your ass out."

Jesse let out a soft whistle. "Woah, must've been some really bad dream you had, huh?" Smiling, he added, "Was it about Shalimar?"

At that moment it was impossible to determine who had turned a deeper shade of red: Brennan or Shalimar. Shalimar opened her mouth to protest, but Brennan was already at his feet.

"Get. Out."

Jesse frowned, firmly planting his feet in the soft, blue carpet. "I'm just trying to care here! You look pretty shaken up, I just-"

"I don't think I could have made myself clearer, but obviously you need some clarification in the words GET OUT!" Brennan was yelling at this point, both anger and patience well through the roof. Shalimar found Brennan rather scary like this; on the contrary, Jesse seemed to enjoying himself.

"Oh no, I got what you meant. I just don't see what you're going to do about it."

"You just hit the wrong switch, Jess." Outstretching his arm, Brennan balled his right hand tightly into a fist; when his fingers uncurled, electricity flowed from their tips into a concentrated ball of bluish energy in his palm. He withdrew his arm and held his hand above his shoulder, snarling.

"Just say one more word and-"

"Brennan, stop it!"

Overwhelmed with anger, Brennan had failed to notice Shalimar come up behind him. Stepping around him, she placed herself directly between him and Jesse. She looked up at him, frowning.

"Hey, whatcha up to?"

Brennan craned his neck to get a glimpse of Jesse, who by now was nearly rolling on the floor, shaking in bouts of laughter. Brennan's fists shook – if only he could send Jesse a good high-voltage shock… He would change his attitude. Of that Brennan was dead sure.

"Uh, Brennan…?"

"What?" Brennan looked down at Shalimar and realized electricity still flowed freely in his right hand. Muttering a curt "Oh", he snapped his fingers into a tight ball; all signs of electricity vanished into thin air.

"Thank you." Shalimar flashed a smile before turning to Jesse, who had retaken his position of standing in the doorway. He sighed and smiled.

"Ahh, thanks Shal. You seem to be the only one who can keep Brennan's temper in check these days."

Brennan took a threatening step towards Jesse, but Shalimar held him back. Sighing, she glared at Jesse. "Jesse, how about you go bark up Emma's tree and leave Brennan alone, hmm?"

Jesse's smile fell as his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. Mumbling incoherently, he turned his back and stomped quite loudly down the hallway. Brennan laughed joyously and slammed his left fist into his right palm.

"I hope God's around to help him when you're not here to save his ass, Shal. He'd get what's coming to him… I'd give it to him."

Shalimar smiled. "Yeah, and if you did, we'd be short one team member for about two weeks."

"So?" Brennan shrugged. "I for one couldn't care less."

Shalimar hit him playfully in the arm, laughing. "Oh stop it, Brennan. We both know you'd be lost without Jesse."

"And Jesse would be lost without me. Come on, I've heard it a thousand times, Shal. Spare me."

Sighing, Shalimar decided it unwise to push Brennan further. She did, however, make a mental note to inquire about the morning's events sometime later on in the day.

"What time is it?"

Shalimar rolled her eyes and stole a glance at her watch. "It's 7:43. God Brennan, don't you have a clock or a watch in your room?"

Shaking his head in response, Brennan replied, "Nope, nothing electrical in here. Can't take any risks, you know?"

Shalimar nodded her head to show she understood. She threw Brennan a playful smile and said, "Hey, how about we get a head start on training today?"

Brennan blinked, puzzled. "This early? I haven't even had my coffee yet!"

"Oh right, I forgot; you need your spark in the morning, right?"

Sticking his tongue out, Brennan brushed past her and headed towards what one could call the kitchen. Sighing, Shalimar let herself fall back onto Brennan's bed. She smiled as she inhaled his exquisite scent; another thing that caused her to fall head over heels for him. She frowned as she replayed the morning in her mind. Something had deeply troubled Brennan; she had felt it. Not only was she going to get it out of him, but she was going to help him through it – whatever it was.


	2. Internal Struggle

Author's Note: I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Truth is, grade 10 turned out to be more work than I thought. I'm extremely busy, but the end of the school year is coming up, so things are settling down somewhat. My greatest thanks to those of you who have read the first chapter and who have submitted reviews – I live for you guys and I appreciate your comments very much! Here's the second chapter, enjoy!

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"Emma, he's not even trying."

Hidden from view, Jesse and Emma stood watching Brennan and Shalimar go at it. While Shalimar was putting her all into every single movement she made, Brennan gave only enough energy to avoid Shalimar's attempts to make contact. It was obvious Brennan was holding back; in less than a few minutes, even Shalimar's attempts to hit him had ceased, her interest in training long lost.

"There's no point in training if you're not gonna fight back," Shalimar whined, disappointment heavy in her voice. Brennan sighed and turned his back on her; he couldn't bear seeing Shalimar so disappointed, especially in him. He hated letting her down like this, but he just couldn't bring himself to make a serious effort. Not against Shal. Not after what he had seen, even though he forced himself to remember it had only been a nightmare. It hadn't actually happened – it was all in his head, that he very well knew; but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that it had been more than just a bad dream.

Shalimar sighed and turned to leave, motioning for Brennan to follow. Reluctantly Brennan trudged after her, having a strong feeling he knew what was in store for him.

And he had been right.

Upon following Shalimar into her room, she turned on him, concern mixed with impatience swirling in her eyes. "Look Brennan, I know something's up, you can't hide it from me. Why won't you just tell me what's bothering you?"

Brennan sighed and turned away, once again unable to meet the disappointed eyes of the one for whom he cared so dearly. He hated keeping it from her as much as she hated being kept from it; but he simply could not tell her about the nightmare that had plagued his dreams the night before. Only he knew what he had seen, and quite frankly he preferred it that way. He wasn't one to parade his feelings openly; telling anyone what had happened in his nightmare would, in truth, be doing just that.

"Brennan, please…"

Brennan felt a tug on his arm and turned to find Shalimar grasping his right hand in hers, gazing up into his eyes. He couldn't turn away; she held him in her gaze, pleading for Brennan to tell her what was so obviously causing him agony. He blinked a few times before sighing and leading her over to her bed. After sitting her down, he knelt in front of her and sighed. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, Shal would eventually find out… and then beat the crap out of him for not telling her sooner.

"Shal…"

"What, Brennan?" Shalimar shifted uneasily, uncomfortable with the position she was in. She wanted to bombard him with questions – why he was acting this way, what was bothering him, and most importantly, why was he keeping it from her? Nevertheless, she quieted herself and gave Brennan the opportunity to compose himself and continue.

"Well…" Brennan cast around for the right words to say. Why did this always have to be so hard? He knew that in telling her about his nightmare he would also be confessing his feelings for her. Part of him was like every other man on the face of the planet – he simply feared rejection, and that was normal. It wasn't so much rejection that made him reluctant to tell Shalimar how he truly felt for her, however. What he feared for most was their friendship. What if Shalimar didn't return his feelings? He knew that a wall would spring up between them, knew that it would continue to grow to the point that he'd never be able to get around it; knew things would be different from that moment on and could never return to the way they were. It was this that he had fought with every day since he had met her. Even if she did return his feelings, what effect would that have on their working relationship? God have mercy if Eckhart ever found out; he would surely see Shalimar as a means of getting to the team, especially to Brennan. That was a risk he was far from willing to take.

"Earth to Brennan, have you heard a single word I've said?"

"What?" Brennan shook his head, his trail of thought vanishing. He blinked and looked up at her, a sheepish grin spreading across his handsome face. "Sorry, Shal… Were you saying something?"

"Duh." Shalimar rolled her eyes impatiently and began to reiterate everything she had just said. "I was asking – trying to ask – if any of this had to do with us."

"Us?" Brennan's eyes grew wide. Did she mean them? Had he been fighting to decide whether or not to tell her when all along she had already known? If she really did know, how had she found out? As far as Brennan could remember, he hadn't told a soul about how he felt about her… Had his feelings been so obvious to the others? His eyebrows furrowed as his mind raced, replaying various times where he could have slipped up; he ended up drawing a blank.

"Can't you pay attention for more than a second, Bren? You're worse than Jesse when he's on the computer and you're trying to get a full sentence outta him."

Brennan swore soundly to himself and looked back up into her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Shal. I'm just… I… It's… It's kind of hard for me to say…"

Shalimar let out an anguished sigh and got to her feet. "Fine, Brennan. You know, I get that you don't want to tell me whatever it is that's bugging you, but you could have just told me that you didn't want me knowing instead of going through all this trouble to tell me nothing."

Brennan moaned as he also sprung to his feet. "Please, Shal, don't do this-"

"Do what!" Shalimar whirled on him, and Brennan could see the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. "Look Brennan, all I've done is try to care! It's not my fault that you don't want me to help you!"

"I never said that I didn't want-"

"You didn't have to." Shalimar sent him an icy glare; but as she saw Brennan shrink back from her gaze, her face softened. "I'm sorry, Brennan… I didn't mean to be so cold, but I just don't understand why you won't let me help you."

"It's okay." Brennan sighed and managed a feeble smile. "I just don't know if I'm ready yet."

"Ready for what?"

_Ready to tell you that I love you_. The words automatically formed in his mind. Every particle in his body itched to declare his love for her; but still he fought against the urge to spill everything. He just couldn't take the risk of ruining the friendship that they had. Staying friends with Shalimar – even if it meant nothing more – was still better than not being friends with her at all.

"Brennan?"

Brennan turned his head to face Shalimar. He was surprised to see an apologetic smile playing across her face.

"I'll be here when you're ready to tell me, okay?"

Brennan let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Shal."

Shalimar smiled and wrapped her arms around his body, hugging him tightly. In her mind she apologized for what she was planning to do, but she didn't have a choice. There were no alternatives; or if there were, they weren't showing up on Shal's radar.

"See you later?"

Brennan nodded and headed for the door. He stopped when Shalimar called his name. Puzzled, he turned on the spot to see her grinning.

"I better get a refund for this morning's crap."

Brennan couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright, maybe after we can squeeze some training in?"

Shalimar smiled. "It's a deal, but you better actually try this time. Kicking your ass isn't fun if you just stand there."

"Hey, you didn't kick my ass!"

"I could've."

Brennan snorted. "Dream on, Shal, dream on."

Shalimar grinned. "You know I can."

Brennan's exaggerated "pfft" earned him a pillow square in the face. His face was in shock as the pillow fell to the floor with a soft _poomph_.

"Oh you're asking for it now!" Grinning Brennan grabbed the pillow and threw it back at her, content to see it whomp her in the face. In a matter of minutes both Shalimar's pillows were being tossed around the room, feathers flying everywhere.


	3. Clash of Elementals

Author's Note: Okay wow things are on a roll! Here's chapter three, some real action is going to start up soon…

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"Okay guys, here's the deal." Adam turned to the central computer. "On."

The computer turned itself on in response to Adam's command. Proxy Blue came on screen, but Adam swiftly switched programs to what he wanted to show his team.

"There's a new mutant currently roaming the streets – his name is Jonathan Blake. He's an elemental just like you, Brennan; he can manipulate the electrical charges in his body to throw electrical energy. I want you guys to find him and bring him here."

Brennan let out a low whistle. "So he's like me, huh? This should be interesting."

Adam turned to look at Brennan, a look of unease in his eyes. "Brennan, he's dangerous. I doubt I have to remind you what it was like for you when you were in an unstable stage."

Brennan shuddered. It hadn't been pretty; he had barely been able to control summoning the electrical charges into actual bolts of energy, and sometimes he just completely lost control. He had been very grateful when his body had adapted to the new changes and he had once again regained full control over his powers.

"Does he have any control over his powers yet?"

"No." Adam turned to Emma, who had posed the question. "He doesn't have any clue how to control them. That's what makes him so dangerous; he's scared, he's confused, and he's releasing bolts of energy every two minutes. I need you guys to talk him into coming here as soon as possible so I can try to stabilize him."

Brennan shrugged. "Hey, he's like me, right? I'll just show him that I'm like him too, and he should agree to come with us."

Adam sighed. "I wish it was that easy, Brennan. Just get to him before the GSA does. Go now."

"Wait, we're all going?" Jesse stood up, a little on the confused side. "Usually only two of us go. Does this really need all of us?"

"Yes." Adam nodded. "As I've said, he's extremely dangerous in his current state. That's why I need you all to go – you'll need to cover each other's backs, and you'll all need to be extremely careful. Any irrational acts could provoke him to strike, even if he doesn't mean to."

"Alright then, let's head out." Brennan clapped his hands together and headed off toward the hangar in which the double helix was resting. Shalimar, Jesse and Emma followed closely at his heels.

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"Got him."

Shalimar grinned as she stood up from her seat. Using the double helix's computers, she had been able to pinpoint where Jonathan was at that very moment.

"Where is he?"

"He's about six miles north of here, Jesse. From the looks of it he's at the Beaupont graveyard."

"Beaupont graveyard?" Brennan repeated Shalimar's words. "What a place to be."

Shalimar shrugged. "I guess there's really no right place to go when you're in a situation like his."

Brennan nodded, and a silence fell over the double helix, the engine the only sound to be heard. It wasn't long before the computer let out a shrill beep, signifying that they had reached their desired destination.

"Okay, how are we doing this?"

Emma, who had remained silent for most of the trip, suddenly spoke. "I think Shal and Jesse should go down while Brennan and I stay in the double helix."

"Why?" Shalimar and Brennan exchanged glances, having asked the same question at the same time.

Emma shrugged. "It's dangerous for two of the same elementals to be together, and I don't need to remind you of the time I made a connection with Brennan while he was unstable."

Shalimar and Jesse nodded to show they understood, but Brennan frowned in defiance. "No. I'm not staying here while they go and try to reason with this guy, for all we know he could go crazy on them!"

"That's exactly why I don't want you to go, Brennan." Emma sent Brennan a pleading look, one that she found usually had a strong effect on others; but this time, Brennan resisted.

"I'm going down. If I show him what he can accomplish by controlling his powers, he might be more willing to come."

"I think he's right, Emma." Jesse shrugged. "It's true. If Jonathan sees that he's not the only one who can summon electrical energy at will, he might me more compliant."

"Maybe, but you don't know that!"

"We won't know unless we try." Brennan's voice was cold, his statement curt. He was getting tired of playing games with Emma – why was she suddenly insisting that he stay out of the battle field? He was their best shot at getting Jonathan to come with them. He knew it was dangerous, but was this really different from any other new mutant that they had been sent to rescue?

"Fine. I guess I'll stay here by myself."

"Em, why do you need to stay?"

Emma turned to face Shalimar. "Someone has to stay in the double helix incase something goes wrong."

Shalimar nodded. "I see. Well then, shall we?"

"Hold on a second, shouldn't I stay then?" Jesse looked at the others. "I mean, no offense to you, Emma, but I think I'm the most qualified to handle the double helix. If something really does go wrong, we'll need someone to act quickly, not spend two minutes figuring out which button does what."

Emma turned bright red and silently relinquished the pilot's seat and went to join Shalimar and Brennan. Jesse plunked himself down in the chair and, confirming that the invisibility device was still checked, turned the double helix toward the ground and swooped down. Luckily there was an area of the graveyard that had yet to be occupied by graves.

"Alright passengers, this is the end of the line. Everyone out!"

Jesse sighed as he watched Emma, Shalimar and Brennan exit the double helix and start to make their way across the graveyard. He was uncomfortable letting Emma go without him – he was so used to being with her, being there to protect her. Maybe he should have agreed to stay _with_ her, instead of saying he should be the one to stay _instead_ of her.

Nevertheless, it was too late to change things now. He brought the double helix a little higher into the air and began to slowly circle the graveyard, keeping a keen eye out for any sort of disturbances.


	4. The Setup

Author's Note: I changed the name of Sean Dubois to Jonathan Blake. Reason being… there is no reason, I just felt like it. Sorry chapter 4 is short, I just had my skating show this weekend and I also got to see Stars on Ice! YES. (It was awesome by the way.) Thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting, I love you all! Enjoy!

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It had been half an hour since Brennan, Shalimar and Emma had begun their search for Jonathan. Needless to say, they were all growing weary of hunting for this new mutant with not even the slightest sign that he was around. Jesse, who had long since given up on flying circles around the area, had found a nice, deserted rooftop of a building not far away to set the double helix down. He sat back and relaxed in the pilot's chair. If anything went wrong, he was sure someone would contact him via com-link.

But so far, nothing had gone wrong. Nothing had happened period.

"Jesse?"

Jesse sat bolt upright at the sound of Emma's voice. He raised his hand and softly spoke into his comm-link. "What's up?"

"Can you recheck the scanners and see if Jonathan's still here? We haven't been able to find any trace of him so far."

"Gotcha." Jesse leapt from the seat and bounded over to check the scanner's readings. He frowned; sure enough, the signal Shalimar had picked up less than an hour ago had simply vanished.

"Jesse?"

"Hold on a sec, Emma," Jesse spoke as he slid out a keyboard and began to type on it. He started a new scan from fresh, but still came up with nothing.

"Just tell us if he's here!"

Jesse sighed at Shalimar's demand; she was obviously irritated, but the truth was that she wasn't the only one. "No, he's not. His signal just… vanished."

"Is it possible the GSA got here before we did?"

"I don't know." Jesse sighed and looked at the screen once more. It didn't make sense… The ship showed up in the middle of the screen, as did Brennan, Shalimar and Emma – but no sign of Jonathan. How could he have just disappeared?

Suddenly, a thought hit him. He frowned as he reset the ship's scanners to a smaller diameter, raising the overall precision of the signals. His eyes widened as he saw the ship's circle, with him inside it...

And another circle right outside.

"Guys, I've got comp-" Jesse began to yell, but his words were cut short as a blast of electrical energy came from behind him and hit him square in the back. His body slumped to the ground, consciousness lost.

"Good work, Mr. Blake."

Three GSA agents filed into the double helix after a tall, brown-haired man who had just nearly killed Jesse. The man smiled as he closed his open fist, killing the open flow of electricity that was coming from his fingertips.

"Should we take the guy, or leave him out with his friends?"

One of the agents, an older looking man, shook his head. "That's one of your faults, Mr. Blake; you lack the experience needed to fulfill your job properly. Of course we're taking him with us; we'll hold him prisoner as a bargaining chip."

"Ah." Jonathan folded his arms across his chest, eyeing the man with a look of bitter annoyance. He had only just been enrolled in the GSA; how was he supposed to have enough experience after having worked only for two weeks?

"Mr. Blake."

"Yeah?" Jonathan snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face Mr. Lanero, the man who had called him.

"Mr. Eckhart informed me that you are quite capable of flying aircrafts. Was he right to do so?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yep, he hit it on the dot. I use to fly these things all the time when I was a kid. Of course, the aircrafts I flew were slightly different in the make; but they're all the same when it comes down to it."

"Well here's your chance to prove your words to me. Get your ass in that chair and fly us back to headquarters."

"Right." Jonathan immediately complied, not wanting to receive any more harsh remarks. His patience was wearing thinner with every crack his mentor made – he saw no reason to have Mr. Lanero accompany him on every mission. He had a slight dislike for the man – he was always commenting on how poorly Jonathan did his job, how inexperienced he was, and so on. It was eating at what little nerves he had left.

Muttering quietly under his breath, Jonathan sat down in the pilot's chair and gazed at the controls in front of him. He was impressed; just by its appearance, he could tell that the machines were very technologically advanced.

It only took him a few minutes to adjust himself to the new controls and figure out how to fly the aircraft. In a minute more, the double helix was off the ground and was heading for GSA headquarters.


	5. The Beginning of Doubt

AN: I'm very sorry to everyone who's been reading my story, it's been ages since I've put up anything! I haven't had much time to write before now, and I also experienced a major case of writer's block. I apologize for the long wait, but hopefully this'll make up for it. I just recently stumbled across a CD I've had for awhile that has such awesome music to write to, it's been fantastic writing to this music! (HIM's "Love Metal" album, I love all the songs except the last one lol.) Anyway, now it's summer so hopefully I'll be able to write more! Enjoy!

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As two metallic doors swooshed open to admit him, a man dressed in a simple white laboratory coat and straight black pants stepped into a cool room. A chair situated behind a desk in the center of the room swiveled around, revealing a gray-haired man who was impeccably dressed.

"Doctor Harrison? I must say, I fail to recall having requested your presence in my office."

"Mister Eckhart," he mumbled, "I came of my own accord. I must know what to do with Mister Kilmartin."

Eckhart blinked. "My apologies, did I not make myself clear when Mister Kilmartin was brought in? Or was it, perhaps, that you simply failed to comprehend my simple demands?"

"N-no, sir, you made yourself quite clear-"

"Then what is the purpose of your being here, Doctor Harrison?"

Doctor Harrison shifted uneasily, casting about for the right words to say. Upon receiving silence as an answer, Eckart sighed and, placing his hands neatly on his desk, stared up into Doctor Harrison's eyes.

"I will only repeat this once more, Doctor Harrison. I would find it in your best interest to pay very close attention." Eckhart paused to give Doctor Harrison a chance to show he understood. When he nodded, Eckhart continued. "Mister Kilmartin is a mere decoy in our plan. He will be used as bait to lure the rest of those hoodlums into my hands. Top priority remains Miss Fox; as you are aware, the new virus is in desperate need of an experimentation."

"I understand that sir, but what exactly do I do while-"

"By whatever means you find neccessary, Doctor Harrison," Eckhart interrupted, "Keep him silent and contained."

Doctor Harrison nodded furiously. Muttering a curt "Understood", he bowed his head forward and quickly backed out of the room. Eckhart eyed his employee suspiciously as he disappeared behind the metallic doors.

"Hmmph," Eckhart grumbled, clearly distraught at Doctor Harrison's lack of progess thus far. Knowing that Doctor Harrison had not yet fallen too far behind schedule, Eckhart had granted him a second chance - but his patience was very limited, and failure was not a word found in the dictionary of Mason Eckhart.

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Groaning, Jesse slowly pried his eyes open. His body ached in pain, and Jesse struggled to remember what had happened. He had been in the double helix and had found another heat source apart from his own on the scanner. He had turned around to brace himself, and then... And then... And then what? All he could remember was turning around to an insanely bright bolt of light, and after that, he knew no more.

_Jonathan_, Jesse thought suddenly. Of course. It had to have been him. What other source of light could have been enough to cause him so much agony, not to mention render him unconscious for so long?

Jesse frowned as he felt a familiar sharp burning sensation in the back of his neck. He drew a sharp breath as his fingers brushed the smooth plastic of a subdermal governor. For a fleeting moment, the knowledge of what the strange object was comforted Jesse; but the comfort disappeared as quickly as it had come. Panic rose in Jesse's chest as he tried in vain to mass or phase, both attempts resulting in absolute failure. The drowsiness that had weighted his eyelids a moment before disappeared as Jesse stood up, scouring the area with widely opened eyes.

"Where am I?" Jesse asked softly, realizing that his immediate surroundings did not suggest Genomex in the least. He was in what he could only gather to be a forest of some sort - but that would be highly unusual.

_Unless what I'm seeing is only a mirage_, Jesse thought suddenly. The idea only proved to shove more questions into his mind, unsolvable equations that supposedly formed a puzzle.

But none of the pieces fit.

The sharp snap of a twig alerted Jesse as he whirled in the direction from which the sound had come. Puzzled, Jesse cocked his head to one side, expecting someone - or something - to appear before him; but nothing could have prepared him for the person who emerged from behind the bushes.

"Shalimar!" Jesse breathed, unable to believe what he was seeing. He grinned and took a step towards the familiar face, but one look of her eyes rooted Jesse to the spot. He felt a cold, dull feeling from the gaze that reflected in the glowing yellow orbs, completely contrary to the usual soothing warmth that normally flowed from their depths. This distinct change told Jesse that something wasn't right.

For the second time that day, Jesse was right - and for the second time that day, Jesse wished he had been wrong.

"Hey Jesse."

"Shalimar?" Jesse stepped back as Shalimar moved towards him, a smirk playing across her face that clashed with her normal bubbly personality. Something was definitely wrong.

"Yes?" Shalimar retorted, not bothering to conceal the malice in her voice. She grinned as her eyes locked on Jesse's and held him in her gaze. "What's wrong with you?"

"M-me?" Jesse stammered, unable to decide whether she was merely toying with him or actually being sincere. His eyes widened as she suddenly lunged towards him, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl.

"Shal-" Jesse began, but the word was ripped from his mouth as Shalimar plunged into him, seizing him around the waist and bringing him crashing to the ground. Jesse cried out as the pain in his body seared to new heights; he was still recovering from Jonathan's powerful electric shock.

Shalimar jumped to her feet and glared down at Jesse. She growled in disgust as he rolled onto his side, coughing hoarsely.

"Shalimar, it's me!" Jesse moaned, but that merely provoked her further. Her eyes glowed a fierce yellow as she brought her leg crashing into Jesse's stomach. Jesse let out a yelp as his body flew backwards, tumbling to the dirt ground once more.

"What the hell..." Jesse grunted, clutching his stomach in obvious pain. He looked up at Shalimar, who simply stood over him and glared into his eyes.

"You're pathetic," she spat, nudging his body with her foot. Jesse tried to move, but his muscles screamed in pain and refused to comply to his brain's orders. Sighing, Jesse gave up and let his limbs fall loose.

"What's gotten into you, Shal?" he whispered faintly. He couldn't understand why she was acting this way. He knew she would never do anything to hurt him; and yet here she was, practically ready to kill him.

"I've realized what frauds we've been by being in Mutant X," she snarled. "Heh, and we thought we were doing what was right... Well, you know what Jesse? I'm sick of having to hide from the world! It's time they knew what we're all about!"

"What?" Jesse blinked and tried to understand the statement that had just come from Shalimar's mouth. It wasn't possible. The Shalimar he knew wouldn't say anything of the sort. Frowning, he whispered, "I don't believe you. This isn't you!"

"Oh, really?" Shalimar smiled and extended her arm to Jesse. Puzzled, Jesse reached up and took her hand. He smiled as Shalimar began to pull him up, but suddenly her body lurched forward and her head collided into Jesse's. Jesse's body slumped back to the ground, and a second later his eyes rolled to the back of his head, consciousness lost.

"Idiot," Shalimar growled, standing up. Brushing the dirt from her shirt, she turned around to walk away. She hadn't taken two steps from Jesse when the image of her body wavered. Confused, she stopped in her tracks and looked around. Shrugging, she took another step forward, and in a split second, the image of Shalimar's body vanished into thin air.

The bushes near Jesse rustled as if being blowin in the wind, but the air around him was dead. Three tall figures stepped out from behind the bush and gathered around Jesse's body.

"That's enough for one day," said the first figure. He motioned to one of the others, and the second immediately bent down to gather Jesse into his arms. Once hoisted onto his shoulder, he turned to the first figure.

"What is our destination, Doctor Harrison?"

The first figure smiled. "The lab. I'm going to perform some tests to see what kind of effect this has had on Mister Kilmartin."

"With all due respect, sir, he just looks pretty beat up."

Doctor Harrison scowled. "Not physically, you fool! Mentally!"

"Mentally?"

"Of course." Doctor Harrison chuckled. "I'd like to see what he thinks of Mutant X by the time we're done with him! Now off you go, bring him to the lab. I'll be there shortly."

The remaining figures set off, leaving Doctor Harrison behind. He sighed and pulled out a remote control from the pocket of his lab coat, aiming it directly in front of him. With the push of a button, the forest began to shift and swirl in front of his eyes, becoming a blur of colors. After a few seconds, the colors changed and settled. The forest was gone, and in its place lay a rather large, empty white room - one of many in the facility of Genomex.

"We'll see what he thinks of his friends after I'm done with him," Doctor Harrison whispered. Smiling to himself, he turned and headed towards the lab, eager to see the effects of his work


	6. A Broken Bottle

A/N: Wow, I'm on a role today! Hehe, here's chapter 6. :P A bit shorter than chapter 5. Enjoy!

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Shalimar sighed as she gazed at Brennan from afar. He was pacing around the dojo, and every now and then a computer-simulated GSA agent would unexpectedly pop up. Upon trying to attack Brennan, the simulated agent would either be zapped or given a direct punch to the face, both resulting in the disintegration of the agent. Brennan would then resume pacing around the dojo as prior to the attack.

"You're going to wear the floor out," Shalimar called, but her statement completely failed to affect Brennan in the slightest. He merely continued to pace around, occasionally frying or punching out the random GSA agent that materialized out of thin air.

"What is he doing?"

Shalimar jumped as a voice whispered in her ear. She whirled to find Emma right by her side, watching Brennan with suspicious eyes.

"Emma! Don't scare me like that!"

Emma shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." She turned back to Brennan and nodded in is direction. "What's eating him?"

Shalimar sighed and frowned. "Who knows? He doesn't seem to want to talk about it." Pouting, she added, "At least, not with me."

"Oh?" Emma ripped her gaze off of Brennan to stare at Shalimar. "He didn't say what was bothering him?"

"Nope." Shalimar shook her head. "My best guess is that he blames himself for losing Jesse on our last misson. I don't see why he would, he couldn't have done anything to help him."

"I know; none of us could have." Emma frowned, puzzled. She wondered if Brennan's current state of mood had anything to do with that big secret he seemed to be keeping from everyone. She still remembered that night he had been crying out in his sleep. It had sounded like a pretty bad nightmare to her; but whenever anyone so much as mentioned it to him, Brennan would avoid it and quickly change the subject or claim he forgot about something he had to do.

"Well," Shalimar stated, getting to her feet. "I'm going down there, and I'm not coming back up until I get an answer out of him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Emma asked, standing up as well. "I mean, he is entitled to privacy. Maybe it's just something personal that he doesn't want any of us to get involved in."

"Pfft!" Shalimar scoffed. "Emma, we're his family. If he can't talk to us about it, who's he going to talk about it to?" Grinning at how her question had stumped Emma, Shalimar whirled on her heels and headed down to the dojo. Emma sighed and remained where she was, keeping an eye on the two from a distance.

"Hey, Brennan!"

Brennan paused just for a moment to see who had called his name. As he saw Shalimar approaching, he muttered inaudibly and resumed his pacing. As Shalimar reached the top step, Brennan merely walked past her, ignoring her presence.

"Brennan," Shalimar whined, "Would it kill you to talk to me?"

Brennan grunted and continued to pace around, though keeping his back to Shalimar. Finally Shalimar decided that the nice way just wasn't going to cut it.

"Hey!" Shalimar yelled. "I'm talking to you, or is your head so thick that you can't hear me?"

Brennan came to a halt. He let out a long breath and turned to face Shalimar.

"Shal," he groaned, "What do you want with me?"

"What do you think I want with you, Brennan?" Shalimar cried, tears forming in her eyes. "I want you to tell me what's wrong with you! I want you to let us help you, I want you to stop closing us out!"

"It's... harder than it seems," Brennan muttered. "If only you knew..."

"So tell me!" Shalimar cried out, hot tears spilling out of her eyes and cascading silently down her cheeks. "Damnit Brennan, don't you get it! We care about you - **I** care about you! But what do you expect us to do if you don't tell us what's wrong!"

Sighing heavily, Brennan made his way over to Shalimar and wrapped his arms around her quivering body. Shalimar allowed herself to fall into his gentle embrace, burying her face into his shoulder. _It's not fair_, she thought. _I want to love him, I want to help him... But how can I when he won't even talk to me?_

"Shal, stop crying," Brennan whispered, his voice soothing to Shalimar's ears. She found great comfort in his voice and gradually managed to stop the tears that had flowed freely from her eyes.

"I can't stand it, Brennan," Shalimar murmured, barely able to hear her own voice. "I look at you and all I see is a world of pain in your eyes..." She tilted her head back to gaze into Brennan's eyes. "Why can't you tell me what's wrong?"

Brennan bit his tongue and looked away. It wasn't as easy as everyone thought; there were a lot of complications to his story. First of all, everyone would laugh at him taking a nightmare so seriously. Second of all, everyone would probably be able to figure out how much he really cared for Shalimar... If they hadn't figured it out already. Thirdly, if Adam and the others knew how much a simple nightmare could affect him, they would think he was weak-minded for sure. That was something Brennan did not want to happen.

"You can't keep it bottled inside forever, Brennan." Shalimar sighed and pulled away from his arms. "If you really don't want to talk about it, I guess I'll just have to be okay with it."

Brennan stared painfully after Shalimar as she headed to leave the dojo. Throwing caution to the wind, Brennan yelled out, "Do you really want to know what's bothering me, Shal?"

Shalimar stopped at the steps and turned around. She wasn't sure, but she thought she could see tears beginning to form in the corners of Brennan's eyes.

"Alright, I'll tell you if you want to know so bad." Brennan drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't want to have to watch the woman I love die before my very eyes while knowing I could have saved her."

Shalimar's breath caught in her lungs, and for a split second she couldn't breathe. She watched as Brennan turned his back to her once more and left the dojo by the other exit.

"Brennan?" She mumbled, though so faint she barely heard it herself. If only she had known... She wouldn't have pushed the issue so far... But who was he talking about? No one was dying any time soon; at least, not as far as she knew.

"Shal?"

Shalimar turned to face Emma, not bothering to stop the tears that were sliding down her face again. Sighing, Emma took Shalimar in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sure he's okay," she whispered, though the lack of confidence in her voice was clearly evident. Sighing, Shalimar smiled through her tears and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I hope you're right," she said. "Because if anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself."

Emma sighed tried to give a reassuring smile. "Give him some time, I'm sure he'll talk to you about it more when he's ready. He did just tell you that, after all. Maybe he's finally realizing that he has to talk to somebody about it."

"Maybe," Shalimar murmured. Sighing heavily, she thanked Emma for her support and headed to her room. Once she had flopped down on the bed, memories of the good times she and Brennan had shared began to flip through her mind. It took awhile, but eventually Shalimar ended up crying herself to sleep.


	7. The Nightmare

AN: Woot! I'm really on a roll this time:D Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you know I live for you guys:D Rock on, and thanks so much! Hope you enjoy this one:D

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Brennan urged himself on, though the sharp pain in his lungs that increased with every step he took pleaded for him to stop. The tunnel he was trapped inside had been going on forever, and Brennan desired nothing more than to take a break; but he was racing against time, and time took no breaks.

Finally Brennan saw a small circle of light at a distance. Filled with new hope, Brennan felt a small burst of energy and he pushed himself to run faster. He smiled as the circle began to grow bigger and bigger, as he drew nearer and nearer to the end of the dreaded tunnel of darkness.

_Finally_, Brennan thought as he burst through the circle of light. A smile lit up on his sweat-filled face; he had made it.

"Brennan..."

Brennan whirled to see Adam approaching, a grave look haunting his features. Brennan failed to notice this, however; he immediately dove into the back pocket of his jeans and withrew a vial filled with a strange purple liquid.

"Adam, I got it!"

Adam sighed and took the vial from Brennan's outstretched hand. To Brennan's amazement, Adam did not rush back to the lab after obtaining the vial; instead, he remained still, staring at the strange bottle.

"Adam, go save Shal..." Brennan began, but a horrible feeling sank in as he came to realize the grave look that had befallen Adam's face. Brennan felt his heart skip a beat as a terrible realization came over him.

"That's right," Adam muttered. "This antidote is useless." Sighing, Adam reached his arm out to hand the vial back to Brennan. He looked up into Brennan's eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry, Brennan. You're too late."

Brennan gawked at Adam, stupefied. He shook his head defiantly. "No. No, Adam, you're WRONG!" Snatching the antidote from Adam's hand, Brennan took off at a speed he didn't know was possible to run at. He screeched to a halt in front of the lab doors and dived through the doorway as they opened.

"I'm here-" He began, but was once again cut short at the sight of two other grave faces: Emma and Jesse. Emma's eyes were red with tears, Jesse's face contorted in pain as he fought desperately not to cry in front of Emma.

"She's gone," Emma cried softly, and a whole new wave of tears came over her as she began to sob uncontrollably. Jesse sighed and brought Emma into his arms, whispering to her soflty in an attempt to calm her down.

Brennan fought to control the urge to break down and cry himself. He slowly made his way over to the chair in the middle of the lab where a body lay covered in a single, white sheet. Brennan cautiously began to lift the sheet, half expecting Shalimar to jump out at him and reveal that this was all just a prank.

But she didn't jump out at him. She didn't even move. She simply lay there, motionless, unaware of him; lifeless.

"Shal?" Brennan whispered as he bent forward to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He shivered at the cold touch of her skin, but somehow couldn't bring himself to remove his hand from her cheek.

"Brennan," Jesse murmured, "There was nothing you could have done."

"No," Brennan gasped, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. "It's... It's all my fault, I was too slow..."

Emma let out a shaky sigh. "Don't say that, Brennan. I guess it was just her time to go..."

"No," Brennan cried, tears spilling out of his eyes and rolling down his face. "No, no, no... Shal, you can't leave me, don't leave me Shal! Please! Shalimar! Come back, I need you, I... I love you, don't leave me, SHAL!"

Brennan sat bolt upright, eyes wide open. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he felt the rapid beating of his heart.

"What..." Brennan breathed, overwhelmed with confusion. It took him a moment to calm down, but finally he realized that he was back in his room in Sanctuary.

_It was all just a dream,_ Brennan thought, and relief flooded over him. He breathed a huge sigh of relief and went to stand up, but froze as light suddenly burst into the room.

"Ahh!" Brennan exlaimed, shielding his eyes from the brightness. Squinting, Brennan looked through his fingers towards his door and saw Emma standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.

"Emma?" Brennan asked, still groggy from sleep. "What're you doing in my room?"

"Listening to you."

"Wha?" Brennan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shook his head. "You were what?"

Sighing, Emma came into Brennan's room and headed over to his bed. She motioned for him to sit, and once he had taken his seat, she took hers beside him.

"I woke up for some reason and couldn't fall back to sleep," she explained. "So I went for a small walk around Sanctuary, and as I passed by your room, I heard you screaming..."

The color faded from Brennan's face as Emma's voice trailed off. He went to stand up, but Emma latched onto his hand and pulled him back down.

"Brennan, you can't keep running away from this!" Emma exclaimed, staring into his eyes. "Whatever this is, you have to confront it sooner or later."

Brennan shrugged Emma off and bowed his head, staring at the carpet below his feet. He sighed heavily. There was no way to avoid it this time.

"How much did you hear?" he asked softly, hoping against hope that she hadn't heard too much; but his hopes were crushed as Emma responded to his question.

"Enough to know why you've wanted to keep this a secret."

"Oh." Brennan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, failing to realize how fast he was breathing or the color that flushed his cheeks. _So she knows_, he thought gloomily. _I wonder how long it'll be before everyone else does too_…

"Brennan, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Brennan looked at her in amazement, but remembered that she was a telempath, and could therefore read his emotions and thoughts.

Smiling, Emma said, "Yeah, you guys always seem to forget about that one. It comes in handy sometimes!"

Brennan smiled at her attempt at humor, but the smile quickly vanished as the dread of his situation washed over him once more. He put his head in his hands and moaned, unable to figure a way out of his predicament.

"Brennan," Emma said softly, "Have you ever considered telling Shal how you really feel about her?"

"Of course not," Brennan retorted. "How can I? What if she doesn't return my feelings? That would not only ruin our friendship, but it would also compensate the team. I can't let that happen, Emma. Besides..." He sighed and looked up at Emma. "Being no more than friends with her is better than not being friends with her at all."

Emma let out a small sigh and couldn't help but smile. "Well, you should have thought more about giving her a chance. For all you know, she could return the feelings you have for her."

"I've thought about that," Brennan explained. "But the risk of her not returning them was too great a chance for me to take. I just couldn't risk screwing up our friendship."

Emma nodded to show she understood. She smiled and got to her feet. "You should tell her, Brennan. It would take a load off your mind as well."

"Yeah, but how do I do it?" Brennan asked. "I can't just go up to her and say, 'Hey Shal, I love you, do you love me too?' That would put her in an awkward position if she doesn't return my feelings."

Emma shrugged. "Say what comes from your heart. I know it sounds cliché, but it always works."

Brennan nodded and smiled. "Alright, I'll give it a shot the next time I see her. Good night, Emma... and thanks."

Emma frowned, puzzled. "Hey, don't go back to sleep. Why not go tell her how you feel right now?"

Brennan shook his head. "Nah, are you kidding? Wake her up just for that?"

"She's already awake."

"What?" Brennan's eyebrows arched in confusion. Emma smiled.

"I said, she's already awake. Actually, she's standing right outside your door."


	8. At Long Last, My Confession

A/N: I can't believe it's been so long since I worked on this story. Sorry to all of you who kept up with it, I know how frustrating it is to be really into a story and to be left hanging. It's been a long time since I've even written anything at all, hopefully this will flow with the previous chapters. Enjoy!

Brennan sighed as Emma closed the door behind her, leaving Brennan alone in his room with Shalimar. It wasn't that he minded - quite frankly, he enjoyed the rare opportunity for him and Shal to be alone - but now he was trapped. He was stuck on a roller coaster with no option of escape until the ride stopped itself.

"So, Brennan," Shalimar said softly, allowing a faint smile to brush her lips. "You wanted to tell me something?"

Brennan nodded and motioned for Shal to take a seat beside him. She happily seated herself beside him on his bed and looked up at him expectantly.

"Well..." Brennan began to rise, but halfway decided that it would be more appropriate for Shal to be looking down at him. He grinned inside as he knelt in front of her, enjoying the feeling of the carpet under his knees.

"Shal..." He began, but trailed off. He couldn't do it. What if she didn't return his feelings? What if she flat out rejected him? It would screw up their friendship for eternity, and things would never be comfortable between them again. Could he really take that chance? Did he really have the right to put their friendship and their working relationship in such jeopardy?

"Brennan," Shalimar whispered, "We've been here before. Just tell me. I know you can do it."

Brennan shook his head, cursing inside his mind. "I... I don't know, Shal... I just... I can't."

Shalimar sighed and slid off the bed onto her knees. She gently placed her arms around Brennan and pulled him closely to her.

"You don't have to be afraid," she whispered softly in his ear. "I'll always be here for you, and that's something that won't ever change, no matter what."

Brennan smiled and returned her embrace. He sighed and murmured, "I don't know why it has to be so hard."

"What?" Shalimar gently pulled away and gazed up into his eyes. To her astonishment, Brennan's eyes glistened brightly with fresh tears.

"Why's it so hard with you, Shal?" Brennan asked, his voice barely a whisper. "I've never had such a hard time before... But now, it's so different..."

Shalimar frowned, growing increasingly anxious. "Brennan, what are you talking about?" She raised her hand to his cheek and gently brushed away a tear. "What's so hard, what's so different now?"

Brennan pulled away from her and rose suddenly to his feet. Tears of frustration and pain spilled out of his eyes as he lost control of his emotions.

"Damnit Shal, to tell you how I feel about you! Every single day I fight with myself because I don't know what to do, and you have no idea what I'm really going through! Every time I come close to telling you, something happens or I chicken out. But why? I've never had this problem before, Shal! Never, not until I met you! Not until I realized I actually had something to lose!"

Shalimar shakily rose to her feet, clearly lost. Softly, she mumbled, "What... What are you saying, Brennan?"

Brennan sighed and turned his back on her. He was so afraid of what could happen... It wasn't like his previous relationships with girls he had fallen for. It had been so easy telling them his feelings, because if they didn't return them, he simply moved on... But it was different this time. There was no moving on from someone like Shalimar.

"Brennan?"

Brennan slowly turned around to face her. He took a deep breath, and as he let it out, he finally said it.

"Shal... I love you."

Shalimar's eyes widened, and a silence fell over the two of them. It seemed like an eternity before anyone moved, but finally Shalimar broke the awkward stillness.

"You... love me?"

Brennan nodded and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Shal. I love you, I love you more than anything or anyone I have ever loved before."

Shalimar stared at Brennan, unable to believe his confession. He loved her...? Was that even possible? She had been longing to tell him that she cared deeply for him, but she had always figured he wouldn't go for someone like her... She had always believed he would settle for someone so much better...

Brennan sighed and hung his head. "I... didn't want to tell you, because I didn't know what you would say."

Shalimar frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Brennan took it as a sign to continue.

"I was so scared that you wouldn't return my feelings, Shal... I was so scared that it would mess up our friendship, and I didn't want to lose you and I was worried that it would mess up the team and I didn't know if I could-" Brennan began, but his sentence was cut short as Shalimar grabbed Brennan's neck and pulled him forward, pressing her lips against his. After a long and passionate kiss, the two drew apart.

"You should have told me sooner," Shalimar said with a grin. "It looks like we've both been fighting over the same thing."

Brennan's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

"Yep!" Shalimar smiled. "I've been trying to get up the courage to tell you the same thing. Looks like we're both a little chicken when it comes to revealing our feelings, huh?"

Brennan let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding, and was graciously refreshed by the relief that washed over his body. He had finally professed his true feelings for the woman that he loved, and his dreams had miraculously come true with her mutual passion for him. The tips of his mouth curved upwards in a smile of the purest form of happiness.

"I'm glad I finally got the courage to tell you I love you, Shalimar."

Shalimar's feline features softened to reflect the same happiness pouring out of Brennan's eyes. "I'm glad too… Because now I have the strength to say it. I love you, Brennan."

Brennan felt as though his breath had been knocked out of him, but in the most heavenly way. He had always dreamt of hearing Shalimar say those three magical words, but hearing her actually say it was far more incredible than he had ever imagined. Staring into her eyes, he could see love and desire burning in their depths, the exact same emanating from his own.

Suddenly, both Brennan and Shalimar felt their self-control break down as the long-suppressed concoction of emotions spilled over them: passion, anxiety, impatience, desire, lust, and a mixture of many other feelings. Within a split second, they both moved in towards each other, and they both found what they had been longing for as their lips met in a light but cherished kiss. They drew apart long enough to gaze into each other's eyes once more, and in that moment, they felt their hearts united as one.

"I love you," Brennan breathed softly, and at that point, his hormones had completely taken control of his body. His hands reached for Shalimar's face as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, fiercely this time. His tongue grazed her lower lip, demanding more than a surface kiss. Shalimar complied, parting her lips and granting his tongue entrance into her mouth. Brennan groaned softly in pleasure as he explored the contours of her mouth, his tongue eager with desire. He lightly touched Shalimar's tongue with his own, and every particle in his body shivered erotically as Shalimar let out a soft moan in response.

After what had seemed like an eternity, Shalimar drew apart, gasping for breath. Brennan suddenly realized that he, too, had been gasping for air. He had been so captivated by their kiss that he hadn't even noticed his increasingly growing need for oxygen.

"Shal," he spoke between gasps, "you're dangerous… You could kiss me to death and I wouldn't even realize it was happening."

Shalimar let out a soft chuckle. "Well, thankfully for both of us, I only have one head to think with."

Brennan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Shalimar stated matter-of-factly, "that I won't get caught thinking with the wrong head."

Brennan drew back from her and folded his arms defiantly across his chest. "Woah woah, I'm not only after satisfying Sparky down there."

"Sparky?" Shalimar bit her tongue to hold back laughter. "You named it… Sparky?"

"Yes. Yes, I did." Brennan's lips turned into a cunning smile. "You know, because every experience with him is full of sparks, and it's absolutely electrifying."

Shalimar couldn't help herself this time, and snorted into a fit of laughter. Brennan's shoulders fell, and his smile faded in disappointment. Shalimar wiped some tears from her eyes and took a mental note of his description to potentially blackmail him in the future.

"Well Brennan, I just don't buy it."

Brennan arched an eyebrow, and spread his arms wide. "What's not to buy, baby? I already got you to fall in love with me, didn't I?"

Shalimar stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. "Yeah, so? Why don't you show me this electrifying experience you're talking about?"

Brennan's face lit up, and Shalimar could almost see sparks of desire, lust, and anticipation erupt out of Brennan's eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but her breath caught in her lungs as Brennan lunged at her. In a few seconds, he scooped her effortlessly into his muscular arms, and laid her gently on her bed. Shalimar let herself drop onto her back, Brennan gliding with her as he lowered himself onto her body.

"Let me show you," Brennan whispered softly, and they were back in a passionate tongue tangle as they had been in moments before. Brennan slid his arms down the sides of Shalimar's perfect body, his fingers curling around the bottom of her tank top. He broke the kiss just long enough to pull the piece of clothing off of her. He plunged his tongue back into her mouth, circling her tongue with his own. His hands slid down her back, searching for the clasp of her bra. His fingers worked frantically to pull it open, and he heard a small pleasure moan from Shalimar as he worked it loose and removed her bra.

"You are so beautiful," Brennan breathed, his voice enthused with lust. Shalimar reached for his shirt and pulled it off, her feral senses also eager to be satisfied. She stared at Brennan's perfect chest; his muscular arms, his sexy abs… The image of his body alone sent her craving to new heights.

"I love you, Brennan."

"I love you, Shalimar."

Within a few moments, all their clothes had been thrown carelessly to the ground, and the two were immersed in the heavenly pleasure of making passionate love.


End file.
